Improvement in mast-hoofs



:l tant @tout @ritira wen F. B. DUNTON, OF CENTRE LINCIOLNVILLE, MAINE.

Lette/rs Patent No. 89,135, dated April 20,1869.

MPROV'EMENT IN MAST-HOOPS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it 'may concern Be it known that I, F. B. DUNTON, of Centre Lincolnville, in the `county of Waldo, and State of Maine, have invented a new and improved Hoop-Adjuster for Fore-and-Aft Sails; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, whic'h will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of my invention.

v Figure 2 is a plan view of the same, from a section through x at, fig'. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to provide the means for causing the mast-hoops of fore-and-aft sails to work more perfectly than hitherto.

The feature of the invention consists in providing a device, which, being connected with the chip-block of the gaf?, and with the hoops, will cause the latter to belowered and raised at light angles to the axis of the mast, and thus preclude the possibility of their becoming jammed by hanging obliquely on the mast, 01' rid.- ing one upon the other.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the drawings, where A and B are, respectively, a

part of the mast and ga spreading a fore-and-aft sail.

H isthe leach-rope of the sail, and

G Gr G, Stc., the hoops, attached thereto in the usual manner.

G C are the two. jaws or cheeks of the gaff, and

b is the chip-block or pivot-block, working on the -bolt c, passing through the gaff, from side to side.

E is the bail or parral-iron.

The parts thus far described are in general use, and nothing new is claimed thereof; but my invention consistsof the adjusting-hoop D, preferably of iron, having two downward projections, d, in rear of the mast.

These projections enclose between them the chipblock b, the projections working on the pivot-bolt, c, of the block b, which bolt passes also through the ends of the said projections.

The adj usting-hoop is formed in two parts, which are united, in front of the mast, by lugs f, which are seized The front of the adjusting-hoop is connected with the parral-iron E and the mast-hoops G by the liftingline I aforesaid, which serves to lift the-hoops in the proper horizontal position in succession as the sail is hoisted, and to lower them in the same manner as the sail runs down, thereby preventing any jamming or riding ofthe hoops, one upon the other, which latter has heretofore been the cause of much annoyance and delay.

The hoops D may be located under the gaff, with its projections reaching upward; but, in most respects, it is preferably located above the ga', as shown.

The block a is held by a bolt passing through the projections, Aas shown, which also serves to hold the two parts of the hoop D together,'as onecontinuous hoop.

It will be seen, from the foregoing, that my invention serves the useful purpose of preventing mast-hoops from catching upon the mast when hoisting the sail, or from riding one upon the other. It also keeps the hoops in a level position, prevent-s friction, and obviates slushing the fore part of the mast, and to keep the hoops in their proper place, either when'hoisting the sail, or when it is set. f

Having thus described my invention,

, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1 The adj usting-hoop D d, in two parts, having a riding-block, a, embraced between the two projections d, and the lower ends of the said projections formed with holes, for a pivot-bolt, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described, the whole constituting an improved yhoop-adj usting attachment for foreand-aft sails, all as set forth. l A

F. B. DUNTON.

Witnesses:

R. H. Lovn'rr, 'RICHARD M. LovET'r. 

